Future USS Sioux City skipping port visits to make it to commissioning site on time

The US Navy’s future littoral combat ship USS Sioux City (LCS 11) will have to skip two previously planed port visits to arrive to its commissioning site on time, the US Navy has said.

LCS 11 is scheduled to arrive in Annapolis, Maryland, on November 11, seven days ahead of the ship’s commissioning ceremony at the US Naval Academy, Nov. 17.

Following a delivery ceremony at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin on August 22, the future USS Sioux City got underway en route to her commissioning site.

After conducting a visit to Montreal, Canada, Hurricane Oscar-related inclement weather delayed the ship’s departure. Due to this delay, the ship will proceed directly to Annapolis bypassing two previously planned port visits.

The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) is the first ship named after the fourth-largest city in Iowa, Sioux City.

The ship’s sponsor is Mary Winnefeld, the wife of the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. James “Sandy” Winnefeld.

The LCS class of ships consists of the Freedom variant and Independence variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Freedom variant team is led by Lockheed Martin (for the odd-numbered hulls, e.g., LCS 1). The Independence variant team is led by Austal USA (for LCS 6 and follow-on even-numbered hulls).